


don't leave me so lonely

by wafflesofdoom



Series: the adventures of misty and maggie [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 06:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11075709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: maggie goes missing, and aaron doesn't handle it very well.or, robert and aaron have a frank discussion about business trips away, bad days, and their mischievous golden retriever.





	don't leave me so lonely

Robert was about a mile outside Emmerdale when his phone rang, Aaron’s caller ID flashing on his screen. He was so excited to get home, to see Aaron, and Liv after a few days away in Manchester, and so he eagerly answered, wanting to hear his husbands voice (even if he was ten minutes from home.)

“Hiya,” Robert began, the words barely out of his mouth before Aaron was ranting, worry evident in his voice.

“ _Robert, it’s Maggie, I think she got out of the house when I wasn’t looking, and I can’t find her,_ ” Aaron said, the words slurring together in his panic. “ _I can’t find her, Robert! What if somethings happened to her? She’s just a little puppy!”_

“Hey, hey, take a breath, yeah?” Robert flicked on his indicator, turning down the country lane that would take him to Emmerdale, keeping an eye out for a mischievous golden retriever as he drove.

Maggie had developed quite the personality, in the few months they’d had her, always getting in where she shouldn’t, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to him that she’d decided to go and adventure out into the big bad world as soon as she’d spotted an open door.

“ _What if she gets knocked down? Or someone takes her?_ ” Aaron was in a fully fledged panic now, his breathing uneven. “ _I’ve got Liv out looking in the village, but I can’t - I can’t find her._ ”

“I’ll be home in a minute, and I’ll help you look, okay? Just, deep breaths, Aaron,” Robert couldn’t help but be worried at the panic in Aaron’s voice. “She’s a puppy, she’s going to get up to all sorts.”

_“She’s a baby Robert!”_

Robert realised now wasn’t the time to argue the point. “I’m just turning into the village, I’m nearly home,” he said, the Mill in his eye-line now.

Aaron didn’t say a word, hanging up the phonecall.

As Robert turned into their driveway, he spotted a ball of golden fur in the middle of the hedge, rolling his eyes. She’s only gone and gone herself stuck, hadn’t she? Parking his car, Robert took the keys out of the ignition, easing himself out of the drivers seat.

“Maggie!” he called, the golden ball of fur wiggling it’s bum in response. “Maggie, come here girl.”

Robert crouched down, a hand on Maggie’s back as he eased her out of the hedge. She’d found the little hole in their garden hedge during her first month living with them, but she’d clearly gotten too big to fit through now.

“It’s alright,” Robert said, bundling her into his arms. Maggie gave an excited yap, clearly unfazed by her time spent stuck in the hedge, paws scrambling at Robert’s blazer. “You gave Aaron a right scare, you did,” he said, walking down the path to their wide open front door. “Aaron?”

Aaron was in the doorway like a shot, his eyes widening as he noticed Maggie in Robert’s arms. ‘You found her!”

Robert nodded, passing her over to Aaron, who buried his face in Maggie’s fur instantly, only giving Robert half a second to take in his red rimmed eyes, the worry and upset evident on his face.

“Aaron, I can’t find her -“ Liv barrelled through the door, her own forehead creased with worry.

“I found her,” Robert said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, you fancy going over to the pub to get some lunch off Vic? Tell her I sent ya over.”

Liv seemed to understand the look he was giving her, nodding. “I was going to go and see Gabby anyway,” she said, hands shoved deep in the pockets of a hoodie he’d bought her for Christmas.

Robert gave her a grateful smile, guiding Aaron inside, his husband too focused on Maggie to fight him on it. He made his way to the kitchen, flicking the kettle on before he turned to talk to Aaron.

“Aaron,” he began, voice quiet. “Aaron, talk to me.”

“I was just worried about her,” Aaron scratched behind Maggie’s ears, grinning as the dog licked his chin.

“She’s a dog, Aaron, she’s going to get out of the house sometimes,” Robert said, moving so he was sitting on the edge of the armchair, watching his husband carefully. “We live in a village where literally nobody locks their doors - Aaron, we barely close ours in the summer time. She’s going to get out, and you can’t panic like this every time,” he nudged.

Aaron didn’t say anything for a second, setting a restless Maggie down on the floor, her paws clinking against the wooden floor as she headed for her pile of toys in the corner, annoying squeaks filling the otherwise quiet living room. “She helps,” he murmured, eyes on Maggie as she messed with the plastic pig.

“She was supposed to,” Robert nodded. “But she’s still a dog, Aaron, and she’s a mischievous one at that. I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to go on an adventure.”

Aaron looked up at him, tears glistening in his eyes. “You’ve been away so much recently, and I’ve missed you,” he admitted. “I know - I know this expansion is important for Home James, and I’m really proud of ya, but I don’t like being here alone.”

“Aaron -“

“Don’t, Robert,” Aaron stood up, wiping roughly at his eyes. “Don’t say what I think you’re going to say.”

“That I think you need to go back to counselling?”

Aaron let out a shaky sigh. “I thought having Maggie would make it easier, and it does, I just - I don’t know whats wrong with me lately,” he admitted, hunched in on himself.

Robert hated to see him like this, upset and upset with _himself,_ as though Aaron had done something wrong by struggling without his counselling. “She did say that it might have been a better idea for you to keep up a session or two a month,” he pointed out, Aaron rocking on his heels as he listened.

“I’m supposed to be okay now,” Aaron said, tears pouring down his cheeks.

“You are, Aaron,” Robert stood up, arms around Aaron instantly. “God, you’ve done so much over the past few years Aaron, you’re so strong, and I am _so_ proud of you. It doesn’t make you weak, or anything, to still need counselling,” he squeezed Aaron’s waist, giving him a sincere smile.

“I just miss you when you’re not here, I guess,” Aaron said, his gaze flickering downward. “You’ve always made the nightmares stop,” he admitted, arms wrapping around Robert’s middle. “So does Maggie.”

At the sound of her name, Maggie came scuttling over, bumping her nose against Aaron’s ankle.

“She’s obsessed with you,” Robert teased, pressing a kiss to the corner of Aaron’s mouth before he pulled him in for a tight hug, holding him close. “Tell you what, I’m going to make you a cup of tea, and you’re going to talk to me properly, about all this.”

“I can’t really make sense of it all myself,” Aaron admitted, chin digging into Robert’s shoulder. “It’s not like I have much of a reason to not be okay anymore, everything is so good with us right now,” he mumbled tiredly.

Robert hugged him a little tighter, smiling as he noticed Maggie making herself at home on Aaron’s foot. It was strange, how knowing Aaron had a dog around him made Robert feel a little less worried about him, but Maggie was a protective little thing.

It was probably why Robert had fallen so instantly in love with her, that day he had gone to see the puppies with Paddy.

“Well,” Robert pressed a kiss to the side of Aaron’s head. “We’ll try and figure it out together then, won’t we?”


End file.
